


And a Heart Down

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Mentioned SeiGou, Reunions, SouMako Week, Weddings, other characters referenced
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 18:45:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2517968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They don’t meet again until Gou’s wedding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And a Heart Down

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day one of SouMako week on tumblr, for the prompt "Fluff".

They don’t meet again until Gou’s wedding.

Makoto feels a little awkward in his suit and tie, having fallen out of the habit of dressing so formally with the end of his highschool career; while university life had consisted mainly of casual wear, being a swim coach means he just alternates between swimwear and joggers mostly.

Sousuke looks a lot more comfortable in his skin now, Makoto thinks, and the constant shadow that seemed to linger in his eyes during his time at Samezuka has lifted, giving way to the mischievous glint that Makoto remembers seeing glimpses of when he’d been back at Sano.

He looks pretty comfortable in his suit as well, an easy grin on his face as he slings an arm around Rin’s shoulders as he subtly replenishes the redhead’s (rapidly depleting) supply of tissues.

Makoto hides a smile of his own, before his attention is drawn away by the potential scene of Momo and Nagisa at the bar without supervision. (Their regular wranglers have momentarily abandoned them in favour of watching Gou’s first dance; it’s hard to say whether it’s Seijuurou leading or Gou, but the way that they seem to have blocked out everyone else in the room makes Makoto think it’s perfect nonetheless. Nitori and Rei obviously agree, if their bright eyes and poised cameras are anything to go by).

Crisis averted (or more accurately, kept at bay until the responsibility could be passed on), Makoto gets his own drink and is just wondering about where Haru has gotten to when someone slides onto the chair next to him with a drink of their own.

Sousuke’s looking out at the dance floor where Rin is cutting in for a dance with his sister, apparently scolding the groom for hogging her attention for so long though it’s half hearted at best. Makoto’s struck by how content he seems, and can’t help but wonder why he’s chosen this table to sit at when others have people he’s more closely acquainted to sat at them.

They haven’t really spoken since high school after all.

Not that they’d even really spoken much back then, either.

If he wasn’t with Rin, or his other team mates, Sousuke had often come across as unapproachable at the time. As though he didn’t  _want_  to be approached. Makoto hadn’t been about to force his company onto anyone, and anyway he’d had plenty going on in his own life too. And after the tournaments they’d all had their hands full with studying for entrance exams.

Of course, the whole situation now made a lot more sense in light of what he knew of Sousuke’s shoulder injury (and the confrontations Haru and Sousuke had had - which Haru had  _finally_  spilled the beans about after he’d returned from his trip to Australia), but it hadn’t left them much time to get to know each other afterwards.

From the way Sousuke’s lips now quirk up when he catches Makoto’s stare, it may not be too late.

Makoto can’t help a flush from rising in his cheeks at being caught but he doesn’t look away.

Sousuke’s smile only widens.

"Don’t tell me you’re all dressed up but you’re not going to dance, Tachibana."

Makoto hums quietly, turning his gaze back to the dance floor where Seijuurou is back to being twirled about by his wife and other couples have started to join the newly weds. Nagisa and Momotarou seem to be trying to out-dance each other, their long suffering partners having resigned themselves to their fates. “But I don’t have a partner,” he finally says lightly. “Besides, I could say the same to you Yamazaki-kun.”

Sousuke chuckles, taking a sip of his drink and turning to face Makoto more fully. “What, are you not going to take the opportunity to get Nanase to dance? I thought you were a package deal.” 

When Makoto smirks, Sousuke starts, apparently caught off guard by the expression.

"He’s got his own pick of partners; just look."

He tilts his head to the right, where sure enough Haru is entertaining Seijuurou’s grandmother while Ran tugs at his hand, Ren in the background pouting because  _he_  wants a dance with Haru-chan  _too_. _  
_

Sousuke’s brows rise even further up his forehead. “Huh. When did he get so popular?”

"Well, he’s always been a hit with the obaa-sans, and he has a soft spot for the twins. I think Ren may still have a crush on him, actually." Makoto sighs fondly, shaking his head.

"That still doesn’t explain why  _you’re_  not up there though.”

Which, he supposes, is true. Not that Sousuke has given him a straight answer, either.

His lips part to answer, though Makoto’s not sure what he’s about to say. He’s saved from possibly embarrassing himself when Rin stomps over, his cheeks a little flushed from whatever he’s been drinking, and points straight at Sousuke’s nose.

"Sou, you suck at flirting. Just ask him to dance already, jeez."

And then he stomps back to the dance floor to join Rei and Nagisa.

They sit there in silence for a moment, both slightly stunned. They stare straight at the dance floor, afraid to look each other in the eye.

Then Sousuke huffs, picking himself up and then standing in front of a still wide-eyed Makoto.

"Well I figured it’d be less awkward all around if we, you know, actually  _talked_  a bit first but I guess that went out of the window thanks to  _someone_.” He scrubs a hand through his hair self-consciously, then offers his hand to Makoto. “Got any more excuses left?”

It startles a laugh out of Makoto.

He takes the hand, lets himself be pulled up. 

"No, but don’t blame me if I end up stepping on your feet."

Sousuke just rolls his eyes, smirking. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a headcanon that says while Makoto is really good with kids, Haru's amazing with the elderly. He has a soft spot for obaa-sans and they absolutely adore him ^^


End file.
